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Photo: Ryan Kelly / Barre Harmony[/caption]
Sculpting a gravity-defying butt isn’t just about looking good in jeans and leggings. Building muscle in your backside can also improve your workout performance (running, jumping and anything explosive are all powered by your glutes). Plus, a fit bottom makes everyday movements easier thanks to the role glutes play in hip abduction (think side-to-side movements) and hip rotation. And the best part about turning to the barre to gain strength in your butt? The low-impact moves target tiny muscles that are often difficult to hit.
TRY IT: Daily Burn’s Barre Harmony Program
“The small, controlled movements performed in high repetitions help to strengthen and add flexibility to the hip and glute muscles,” says Becca Pace, trainer on Daily Burn’s Barre Harmony program. “Building a strong base while targeting the stabilizing muscles groups will only help to better posture, balance and range of motion.”
Strengthen every fiber of your booty — and give it a lift — with these five glute exercises from Barre Harmony, available to all Daily Burn members starting April 4.
RELATED: The Total-Body Barre Workout You Can Do at Home
5 Glute Exercises That Tone Your Booty
Tight ends aren’t reserved for the football field — you can build one at the barre. Perform each move below for eight to 10 reps, then repeat from the top for another two to three rounds, Pace suggests. You can finish off most of these glute exercises with a pulse in partial range of motion, which will help increase your muscular endurance and amp up the toning benefits. Now get ready to kick some butt (literally!) with this Barre Harmony-based workout.
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Photo: Ryan Kelly / Barre Harmony[/caption]
1. Second Position Plié
How to: Start standing behind a barre or chair, fingertips resting lightly on top of it, feet wider than hip-width and toes pointed slightly outward. Roll your shoulders down and back and maintain a neutral pelvis (a). Sink your butt down into a low squat so your tailbone comes down toward your heels, ideally until your hips reach below your knees or in line with them (b). Squeeze your glutes to stand (c). Then pivot your feet to the left, open your left arm across your body and drop your hips down into a lunge. Your knees should reach a 90-degree bend (d). Stand back up and pivot back to the front to perform another plié squat (e). Repeat the lunge on your right side and continue alternating lunges, with squats in between.
RELATED: 4 Lower Body Exercises You Can Do In Front of Your TV
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Photo: Ryan Kelly / Barre Harmony[/caption]
2. Back Attitude
How to: Start standing on your left leg. Bend your right knee and point your toe and resting your right foot lightly against your left leg, about at calf height (a). Squeeze your glutes to bring your right knee out to the right side (b). Then return it to face front (c). Then, with a slight bend in your standing left knee, bring your right leg up and back behind you. Move your chest forward slightly to take pressure off your back (d). Push your pinky toe up toward the ceiling. Knee should be pointing on a diagonal downward (d). Return to your right toe to the floor (knee bent) and repeat from the top (e). On the last rep, pulse at the back attitude position for eight reps (f). Then switch sides.
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Photo: Ryan Kelly / Barre Harmony[/caption]
3. Donkey Kick
How to: Start on your forearms and knees, shoulders in line with elbows and hips over your knees (a). With your toe pointed, press your right knee up so your thigh is parallel to the floor and your knee is in line with your butt. Pull your abs upward, roll your shoulders down and avoid overarching your back (b). Keeping your knee at a 90-degree bend, push your foot up toward the ceiling (c). Bring your right leg back to hover just off the floor (d). Repeat full leg lift, and on the last rep, pulse at the top eight reps (e). Then switch sides.
RELATED: Hate Squats? 7 Glute Exercises for an Instant Butt Lift
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Photo: Ryan Kelly / Barre Harmony[/caption]
4. Rainbow
How to: Start on all fours, wrists in line with shoulders and knees under hips. Bring your left leg out to the side with your knee straight, so your toes line up with your hips (a). Keeping your abs engaged and pelvis in a neutral position, lift your leg up and over to the right in a rainbow-like movement. Tap your toe outside of your right foot (b). Perform the same rainbow up-and-over movement to bring your left leg back to the side starting position (c). Repeat, then switch sides.
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Photo: Ryan Kelly / Barre Harmony[/caption]
5. Bridge Abduction
How to: Lie on your back, feet planted on the floor with heels close enough to your butt that you can touch them (a). Squeeze your glutes and drive your pelvis up toward the ceiling (b). Keep your weight in the heel of your left foot, press your shoulder blades into the floor, and straighten and lift your right leg up toward the ceiling. (c). Then keep your knee straight as you lower it back toward the ground, hovering it just off the floor (d). Next, open your right leg out to the side on a 45-degree angle (e). Bring your right leg back out in front of you, knee straight (f). Continue lifting, lowering and extending your right leg to the side before switching to your left leg.
Meet us at the barre! Sign up now to be one of the first to try Daily Burn Barre Harmony, available to all users on April 4.
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The post 5 Butt-Sculpting Exercises from Barre Harmony appeared first on Life by Daily Burn.